


Bloom

by appending_fic



Category: A Goofy Movie (1995), Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 1987), Goof Troop (Cartoon), Quack Pack (Cartoon 1996)
Genre: Coming Out, Family Feels, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27279964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appending_fic/pseuds/appending_fic
Summary: Darkwing and Launchpad are simple. And complicated.
Relationships: Drake Mallard/Launchpad McQuack, Louie Duck/Max Goof
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	1. Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> I figure now is as good a time as any to migrate all my old DW fanfic over here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Launchpad's always been waiting around for Drake.

One of the few problems with being a superhero was that between saving the world and caring for his daughter, Darkwing Duck (nee Drake Mallard) had little time for romance. Of course, there had been Morgana. But they'd never really done much of anything together, and after a few years, Drake had realized that every moment he spent with her, he was waiting for another disaster to require his attention. It wasn't just that bad things happened whenever Drake tried to relax; he looked forward to the moment when he had to spring from the restaurant or the movie theater to kick Bushroot or Negaduck's butt.

After he set Morgana straight, he found that crime-fighting and child-rearing took up pretty much all of his time. And he didn't really miss dating. He'd never done much, anyway, before Gosalyn came into his life, when he allegedly had the time to do so.

Nevertheless, it was a surprise the first week after Gosalyn left for college, when Drake realized he was bored. Even after patrolling an extra two hours every day, Drake was left with entirely too much free time on his hands. Even Launchpad had his Junior Woodchuck group to run on the weekends.

So Drake decided to start dating again.

His first date was a chicken named Clara; she was nice enough, if a little...slow. But he had the same feeling of anxious expectation, and was delighted when the Liquidator decided to hijack a cement truck across the street.

When he got home, Launchpad gave him a sheepish grin.

"Guess the date didn't go too well, did it, DW?" he asked.

"Throwing Bob Flood into a freezer was the highlight of the evening," Drake replied wearily. Launchpad just nodded and went back to watching whatever silly television show he'd been watching. Drake considered heading to bed, and then joined him.

The next week, Drake decided instead to go cruising; maybe he'd find someone he had chemistry with. However, the first person he met that didn't bore him out of his mind was a beautiful duck in what could only be called a...unique dress.

However, when he finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. I'm already meeting someone here. And...in fact, you probably don't want to be standing next to me when he gets here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You! Get away from my girlfriend!" Drake was hit by a flurry of feathers and limbs; if he were a lesser duck, he probably would have been knocked to the ground. As it was, when he returned home an hour later, he was heavily bruised.

Launchpad scrambled to his feet when Drake walked in the door. "DW!"

"I'm all right," Drake replied. "It's mostly bruises."

"What happened?" Launchpad demanded. He practically carried Drake to the couch and laid him carefully down. "You didn't go into one of those leather bars, did you?"

"No," Drake muttered. "I met a nice woman named Daisy."

Launchpad froze. Slowly, he turned. "You met Daisy? Was there a male duck with her?"

"You mean Donald?" Drake asked sarcastically. "We met."

"I'm sorry to hear about that, DW. If it makes you feel any better, Donald beat me up the first time I met Daisy, too."

Drake stared at Launchpad, who despite having crouched over him, was still larger than life. And then he remembered the flailing duck that had beat him up. "I can see that," he replied.

After that, Drake relaxed and let Launchpad ensure nothing was broken. After that, they watched some late-night cartoons, and it was nice, if not what Drake had planned for his night out.

The next week, he responded to an Internet ad from a saucy single duck with a devastating smile. Twenty minutes into the date, she'd transformed the matre'd into a hydra, tied Drake to the bar, and phoned Launchpad to demand he deliver to her something called a 'Number One Dime'.

Somewhere in between Gizmoduck arriving and Launchpad crashing a Hummer into the restaurant, Drake decided he would bow to what was obviously the will of the universe and give up on this dating thing.

His date, who evidently was one of Gizmoduck's mortal enemies and a sorceress, ended the evening going to jail, and Launchpad, hovering protectively around Drake, drove him home.

"I have to say, Launchpad. That was pretty impressive back there. I never knew you had it in you."

"Aw," Launchpad drawled. He ducked his head, flushing. "It was nothing, DW. You were in trouble."

"It wasn't nothing, Launchpad. I...I can't actually honestly say I could have done better."

Launchpad swerved and almost hit a tree as he whipped his head around to stare at Drake. "Really?"

"Would I joke about something like this?" Drake demanded.

"No," Launchpad concluded. "Anyway, thanks."

"It was nothing, Launchpad. You earned it."

The next weekend, Drake had just started flipping channels in anticipation of a quiet evening up until something called him back on duty when Launchpad bounded downstairs. When he saw Drake, however, he slowed, and stopped on the bottom step.

"Hey, DW, don't you have a date to get to?"

Drake opened his mouth to respond, but paused before he spoke. Launchpad's question had sounded almost wistful.

"Aw, I decided it's too much trouble. Every time I go out, I get beaten up, or kidnapped, or bored out of my skull. But hey, if you want me out of your hair, I can go patrolling-"

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I just worry you'll get tired of spending all your time with me," Launchpad shot back. He jogged to the couch, because he didn't just walk anywhere, and nudged Drake over with his foot before sitting down. It was, however, enough time for Drake to consider Launchpad's last statement. Of course it could just be a joke; Launchpad was a joking kind of guy. But after the odd way he'd been concerned about Drake going out on a date, Drake was starting to wonder if it might be something a little more.

Sick of spending time with him? Launchpad was one of the few people Drake actually had; he'd practically been Gosalyn's second father. Or, rather, third father. But still. He'd been around for years. Drake tried to find a way to explain how wrong Launchpad's statement was from the truth. He'd as soon get tired of Launchpad as he would Gosalyn.

He glanced up, startled, when he realized Launchpad was staring at him, and that he'd zoned out.

"You're not sick of me, are you, DW?" And Drake wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he could figure things out, and the naked anxiety and uncertainty in Launchpad's eyes said enough to Drake.

"Of course not. You're the best sidekick a hero could ask for," Drake replied.

"Oh." Launchpad deflated. "That's good to know."

"Of course, I've been rethinking this whole sidekick thing," Drake said. Before Launchpad could get a look of panic, and before his chin started to quiver, Drake plowed forward, desperate to get this out before he lost his nerve entirely. "You see, you're a great pilot. And sometimes you've got more common sense that I do. And last week, you really showed me what you're capable of. Launchpad, you are a true hero. Which is why I'd like to ask you to be...my partner."

"Partner?" Launchpad squeaked. "Wh-what about Gosalyn?"

"Gosalyn's not a little girl anymore. I can't tell her what to do. And if she's going to fight crime, she's got to make a name for herself. But...I'm thinking you're going to be around for a while. And...I don't think I know how to fight crime effectively without you around. And you're a part of this family."

It wasn't quite what Drake wanted to say, but Launchpad gave him a blinding grin, and gave him a bonecrushing hug, so it must have been okay. "That's...thanks, DW. Partner."

And Drake decided not to push it. Partners was a long commitment, so Launchpad was going to be around for a while. There'd be time to talk it all out later. For now, they were watching bad movies and he found himself hoping that nothing happened that night to require his attention.

Something did, but it was okay. After all, whether they were fighting crime, watching a movie, or trying to make dinner, Drake Mallard and Launchpad McQuack were doing it together.


	2. Weird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's weird when Gosalyn comes home for Thanksgiving. It takes a while for her to figure it out.

When Gosalyn came home for Thanksgiving, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Oh, she was pretty sure her dad hadn't been replaced with aliens or something. But he and Launchpad were acting weird.

It took her less than an hour to realize they were trying to hide something from her.

So she begged Darkwing to make an emergency store run for food she couldn't live without, and cornered Launchpad in the kitchen.

"Okay, what're you hiding?"

"Wha?" Launchpad glanced up from his newspaper, brow furrowed.

"Out with it! I know you and Dad are keeping something from me. What are two getting up to now that you don't have me around to bother you?"

"Nothing much. Same old, same old."

Gosalyn narrowed her eyes, staring at Launchpad. He was still reading the paper; in fact, he seemed to have ducked further behind the newspaper. She took a few careful steps towards him and yanked the paper down. As expected, his feathers were a faint, fetching shade of pink.

"You're blushing!" She put both hands on her hips and tried to glare at him. "What have you two been getting up to?"

"It-it's sort of embarrassing," Launchpad replied, still flushed. He turned the open paper towards Gosalyn.

There was a picture of Launchpad standing over a bruised, entangled Quackerjack, smiling uncertainly. Oddly enough, Darkwing was nowhere in the frame.

"What happened? Did Dad get himself kidnapped or something?"

"Hm?" Launchpad glanced at the photo. "Naw. He was nursing a bruised beak, though. Said I deserved the credit for that one." And there was that odd blush again.

It did, however, make a little more sense. Launchpad had always idolized Darkwing. Actually getting a chance to save the day and get credit for it must be some combination of mortifying and exciting.

"You shouldn't let it get to you, Launchpad. We all get our moment in the sun. What'd you do? Quackerjack looks like he's been through the wringer."

"He...ah..." Launchpad glanced at the floor. "I already said. He bruised DW's beak."

Gosalyn snorted. "Man! And I thought Dad was overprotective."

Launchpad shrugged. "I'm sort of new to this whole...partner thing."

"Partner? What d'you mean, partner?"

"Oh." It seemed hardly possible, but Launchpad paled. "I don't think I was supposed to tell you that."

Gosalyn narrowed her eyes. "What? Why? What weren't you supposed to-?" Her eyes widened. "Wait, you and him - you're - you're-"

Launchpad nodded, once.

"You're fighting crime together!"

"We fought crime together before," Launchpad protested, quietly.

"Oh, that," Gosalyn muttered. "That was sidekicks. This is - wow, Launchpad. So you're like a real hero, now."

Launchpad flushed again, and Gosalyn smirked. "Yeah. That's what DW said, anyway."

"Keen gear!" Gosalyn gave Launchpad a playful punch on the shoulder. "We should all go out and kick major criminal butt later tonight; St. Canard's not gonna know what hit it."

*

The members of the Mallard family drifted into the house at around three in the morning. Gosalyn was dead on her feet; Darkwing didn't look much better. Launchpad, however, was practically vibrating.

"Man, and I thought I was an adrenaline junkie," Gosalyn muttered as she trudged up the stairs. Launchpad was bustling around the kitchen to get him and Darkwing something to drink. "Don't stay up too late, you two!" she shouted.

She changed quickly in her room, and then decided a drink of water before she went to sleep would be a good idea.

She passed Launchpad on the way down the stairs; he had Darkwing slung over his shoulder. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"DW fell asleep in the kitchen."

Gosalyn smirked. "We'd better keep a better eye on you, Launchpad. At this rate, you're going to outlast both of us at this crime-fighting thing."

"I guess we did overdo it," Launchpad replied. "Good night, Gos."

She didn't think any more of it; Launchpad had made a habit of lugging one of her or Darkwing around when circumstances demanded. It didn't occur to her that things were still a little odd until she bounded in Darkwing's bedroom the next morning to find Launchpad curled protectively around him.

She stopped mid-bound, morning wake-up cry freezing in her throat.

She slipped out of the room before either of them could notice her presence, and sat in the kitchen to think.

Well. It made some of Launchpad's behavior a little more reasonable, and it certainly explained why she hadn't heard about Morgana in a while. But Gosalyn couldn't bring herself to be surprised. It wasn't like Launchpad hadn't idolized Darkwing since before he met him, and it certainly wasn't like he couldn't stand Drake.

So finding them tangled up in bed together was as much of a surprise as anything that happened in her life, although, she supposed, slightly less weird.

If anything, it annoyed her that Drake hadn't seen fit to mention this at any point. She was certain if either of the two of them had made the decision not to tell her, it was her father, and not exuberant, easily-excited Launchpad.

"Morning, Gos." Drake ambled into the kitchen, rubbing his shoulder. "Geez, I haven't had a night like that in ages. How are you moving?"

She snorted, dismissively. "When were you planning on telling me? Or were you hoping to keep it from me forever?"

"Wha?" Drake blinked, wide eyes making it clear he'd been blindsided. "You mean the partner thing? I think Launchpad was sort of afraid to mention it; he thought I'd change my mind after a week or so. Which is ridiculous. Aside from his atrocious landings, he's pretty handy in a fight."

Gosalyn was almost too busy being annoyed to notice, but she did catch the fond smile that drifted across Drake's beak when he mentioned Launchpad's worries. It was tremendously cute, as long as she didn't try to follow the thought much further. It did not, however, reduce her annoyance.

"I'm not talking about him being your new partner, which, by the way, we are going to talk about later. I'm talking about the fact that he was in your bed! And don't pretend he just fell asleep there; I'm not stupid." She folded her arms, glaring at Drake.

"Gos - I didn't - I mean - you're okay with it, right?" He was wringing his hands, and the look he gave her was so heart-rending she almost regretted getting annoyed with him.

"It's Launchpad," she replied. "Of course I'm okay with it; he's nearly as much my dad as you are. What I am, however, is annoyed that you didn't bring this up before. How long has this been going on?"

"September. Or October. Hard to say, really," Drake replied. "It's not like we ever just decided to jump into...whatever." He shrugged, feathers turning a faint shade of pink.

"So...when were you going to bring it up? Did you decide I didn't need to know?"

Drake's flush deepened. "It's not like I planned it. And it's not like...I wasn't planning on keeping it from you forever." Gosalyn continued to glare. "I wasn't!" Drake protested. "It's just - this is all new, and I don't want you worrying-"

"Worrying? Dad, Launchpad's the last person I'd worry about you...are you two dating?"

"...I guess so."

Gosalyn laughed. "You guess? Come on, Dad, you've got to do better than that."

"I mean, we've gone out to dinner a couple of times, and he keeps dragging me out to see movies he likes, so...yeah. We're probably dating."

"And when was I going to hear about it?"

"When I got around to it!" Drake sighed, and then collapsed into a chair. "Look, kiddo, I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here. I didn't want to talk about it until I knew what I was doing."

"And do you?"

Drake shot Gosalyn a startled look. "What?"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Drake grinned, slowly. "I think so. I mean, he's as much a member of this family as you or me. And I don't think I want him going anywhere for a very long time."

"So, what? Should I start thinking about what I should wear to the wedding?" Gosalyn asked.

"Don't give Launchpad any ideas," Drake replied, smirking. "It'd be just like him to get caught up in something like that." They fell silent, father and daughter, and after a brief pause, Drake gave Gosalyn a hesitant glance. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I am!" She hugged Drake, loosely. "I used to worry about what would happen after I left home. I'm glad to see Lanchpad'll be looking after you."

Drake sputtered, and tugged away from the embrace. "Him? Look after me? I do not need looking after. Launchpad, on the other hand-"

Gosalyn just laughed at him.

So maybe her life was weird. It was most definitely weird that her father, who was also a superhero, was dating his sidekick, who was now his partner. But it wasn't weirder than anything else that happened to them, was much less of a surprise, and made Darkwing a good deal happier.

So Gosalyn took it in stride that Launchpad now had a habit of nuzzling Drake when he entered a room, and that the two of them always ended up in an undignified heap in the same chair when watching television. She tried not to think too hard about some aspects of their relationship (because happy as she was that they were happy, they were still, effectively, her parents), and they tried hard to keep her from seeing anything she didn't want to. It was hardly a neat arrangement, because they were still all masked crime fighters and sometimes things got particularly weird, but Gosalyn wouldn't trade any of it for the world.


	3. Incidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louie was glad to see Launchpad again; nobody expected Launchpad's news.

Louie dropped his five shopping bags next to the island in the kitchen and stopped, taking a few deep breaths before returning to the car outside. Huey and Dewey had both managed to claim unavoidable conflicts the afternoon of Uncle Scrooge's New Year's Eve party, leaving Louie alone to help Duckworth set up the party.

This consisted mainly of purchasing last-minute supplies and then getting out of the butler's way; nevertheless, he seemed to have an endless list of things for Louie to do.

Louie suspected this was subtle revenge for the way they'd treated Duckworth when they'd been younger. He couldn't tell for certain, of course, because nothing caused Duckworth to alter his attitude or mannerisms.

It was almost enough to make him wish he hadn't RSVPed.

On the other hand, he had been looking forward to the party ever since he heard Launchpad was going to be there. The Maestro didn't perform in St. Canard, and Launchpad was pretty tied to his job, so he didn't see him often.

Louie had always liked Launchpad. Huey and Dewey had tended to view him as a means to an end; Launchpad could fly, and had access to some of the more esoteric skills of the Junior Woodchucks. Louie had seen something...of a kindred spirit in Launchpad. A desire to do the right thing, get along with people, and do what he loved. The memory of Launchpad had been what had driven Louie into music, as opposed to something more sensible.

And, to be honest, he'd developed a bit of a crush on Launchpad when he was younger. Launchpad was confident, strong, (mostly) capable, and easy on the eyes, so it was probably to be expected that Louie fallen for him a little.

It was a point he probably would try to avoid mentioning to Max at the party.

And that was an entirely different point. Louie wasn't certain whether Max being there was a plus or minus. Now that seeing Max no longer sent a weak, hopeless flutter through Louie's stomach (instead he got a quiet, happy warmth in his chest), Louie didn't dread the prospect of spending more than twenty minutes in Max's vicinity. But no one knew about him and Max, yet, and he wasn't certain if Max was even okay with other people knowing about them.

So in the end, Louie viewed the entire evening as a mixed bag. Based on his life experience, something terrible, or at least exciting, was going to happen at the party, but there would likely be enough to compensate for it.

However, no matter how much he kept telling himself this, Louie was sweating and hyperventilating by the time the first guests started arriving.

He was so distracted that he didn't notice his brothers arriving, until Huey dragged him into a headlock.

"Louster! How's my favorite classical musician?"

"Ow!" Louie struggled vainly for a moment. "Let go, Huey!"

"No way, Louie! I haven't seen you in months. Does that Maestro keep you locked in your room, or did you just decide I wasn't worth visiting?" Huey scowled and loosened his grip only slightly, giving Louie enough give to stand up straight. "Huh?"

"I've been busy," Louie replied.

"Doing what?" Huey demanded.

"Huester, I thought we agreed we wouldn't discuss this," Dewey interjected. "If he hasn't seen fit to introduce us to whoever he's been seeing-"

"I-" Louie stopped mid-protest, realizing that denying that he was dating anyone wouldn't pass muster against the combined assault of Huey and Dewey. "I don't have to introduce you. You've met."

"What?" Huey gave Louie a sharp, skeptical look. "We've met her? Who is she? Not...Webby?"

The snort escaped Louie's nostrils entirely unintentionally, but it seemed to clear that up.

Dewey, however, frowned. "I can't think of any girl we've met that you've shown any interest in..."

Louie took a deep breath. "Yeah. About that-"

"Shh!" Huey hissed. "Hot girl senses...tingling!"

"I refuse to believe that you actually have hot girl senses," Dewey retorted.

Huey, however, wasn't paying attention to Dewey. His gaze had been drawn to the entrance, where a red-haired female duck, bouncing on her feet and dressed in clothing that managed to meet only the loosest definition of formal, stood in Launchpad's shadow. His bill was open and, Louie noted with disgust, a bead of drool was gathering at the edge of his brother's mouth."Close your mouth, Huey; you look like an idiot." Louie elbowed Huey in the ribs as he passed, and hurried to where Launchpad was greeting Uncle Scrooge.

"-wish you'd told me you were bring a friend, Launchpad. Duckworth gets snarky when he feels he's been put upon."

"Sorry, Mr. McDuck. We weren't certain Drake'd be coming until the last minute. And he's not a friend, exactly. More like a...partner?"

Uncle Scrooge blinked twice, uncertainly, and then reached back to ensure that there was a chair behind him before letting his legs buckle and sitting down heavily.

"Oh. My." He glanced slightly to the left. "Ach. I wish you'd told me that, Launchpad. I don't like surprises; you know that." He scowled, briefly, and then glanced to his left. "Well, introduce us, then. I think we spent enough time together that I ought to meet your, ah, partner."

Launchpad dragged an unassuming duck dressed in plaid to his side and then collected the girl, too. She managed to look only mildly annoyed at the manhandling.

"Mr. McDuck, this is Drake. Mallard. And this is Gosalyn, his daughter. Guys, this is Scrooge McDuck."

"Like I need to be told who Scrooge McDuck is," Gosalyn muttered rebelliously.

Huey took this moment to shoulder his way into the proceedings. He was smiling in the tremendously sincere way that made girls swoon and got the girls' mothers think he was so wonderful. Gosalyn narrowed her eyes.

'Good girl,' Louie thought.

"So nice to meet you, Mr. Mallard. I'm Hubert Duck; Launchpad is an old friend of the family. And let me just be the one to tell you that any friend of Launchpad's is a friend of ours. Right, Lou?"

"What? I'm reserving judgment until I get to know hi - ow!" Louie recoiled from Huey's kick.

"Shut up," Huey whispered. "I'm trying to make nice with the Mallard girl."

"I know. So does she," Louie replied, fixing a grin on his beak. "So, where'd you meet Launchpad, Mr. Mallard?"

"Call me Drake," Drake scoffed. "And...ah..."

Launchpad wrapped an affectionate arm around Drake's shoulders and, grinning, replied, "Actually, he crashed into my hangar."

"Launchpad," Drake said, warningly.

But Scrooge laughed. "Sounds like a match made in heaven, Launchpad. Now, I think I need to meet the rest of my guests-"

"You!"

Drake tensed; Launchpad took a step to the side, creating a barrier between Drake and Uncle Donald, who was approaching with all of the subtlety and fearsomeness of a coming thunderhead. Daisy was following, slightly more sedate, with a hand over her eyes. She'd obviously tried to stop whatever was about to happen.

Louie took a step back; it would be better not to be standing directly next to Drake when Donald arrived.

"What do you think you're doing here? Trying to steal my woman again, eh? Why, I otta..."

"You ought to sit down and be polite to my guest, Donald." Scrooge gave Donald a cold, level stare, and while it looked for a moment that Donald wanted to glare back, he just folded his arms and gave the assembled crowd a sullen stare.

Threat of immediate violence averted, Louie decided to take a shot at defusing the situation entirely.

"Do you know Mr. Mallard, Uncle D? He's Launchpad's date."

"Yeah, I know that conniving little-" Donald stopped his tirade, and then turned to Louie, furrowing his eyes. "Date?"

"Yeah," Louie answered, a small knot of worry gathering in his chest. He hadn't quite imagined that there could be a chance of Uncle D taking the news of Louie and Max well, and while the circumstances here were different, the possibility suddenly seemed real. "He was just telling us how they met."

"Oh." Donald glanced at Launchpad, and then at Drake, gaze snapping between them a few more times before he scowled again. "You can say whatever you want, Mallard, but I've got my eye on you." He stormed towards the punch table, muttering under his breath.

Daisy took a deep breath, and then stuck out a hand to Drake. "Nice to meet you again, Drake. I'd really like to apologize again for Donald's behavior. He's a bit of a..." She trailed off and shrugged. "But I'm glad to see you've found someone to spend your Friday nights with. And nice to see there's someone to help Launchpad walk away from his crashes." She winked, and Drake blushed. Then she smiled, turned, and practically waltzed away from them.

Drake stared after her perhaps a moment longer than necessary, but Daisy had that effect on people.

"Come on; let's get away before the old guy tries to ask me what I'm studying." Gosalyn grabbed Louie's arm and dragged him away from the crowd. "Was that other guy your brother? Is he always that creepy?"

"He's not creepy. He's just...enthusiastic about pretty girls. Dewey suspects Huey'll get over it when he meets a girl who doesn't let him get away with being Mr. Charming."

Gosalyn gave Louie a considering look. "Do you have a script?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'm not stupid. You're trying to get me to give him a chance. I get it; you're brothers, bros before-"

"That's not it at all, and would you let go of me before Huey decides I'm trying to seduce you? I'd like to get through this holiday without anyone getting hit."

Gosalyn let go of Louie's arm, but continued to give him a measured stare. She was waiting for him to explain. He sighed. "Look, you decided I was more likable than Huey. It's flattering, really, but I'm going to nip this whole thing in the bud. I've got a boyfriend."

"Then why is your brother glaring at us?"

"Because it's not exactly well-known - and you're the first person I've told." Louie would have collapsed to a seat in the middle of Uncle Scrooge's ballroom if Gosalyn hadn't caught him.

It occurred to him a moment later that she was strong; she barely slumped under Louie's weight.

"Come on; I'm hardly going to call you names. In case you haven't noticed, my dad's dating Launchpad."

"Sorry. Bit of a shock." He took a deep breath. "You can let go of me now. And maybe give Huey a chance?"

Gosalyn's laughter was sharp, and unexpected enough that Louie recoiled from the sudden noise. "You never give up, do you?"

"Family trait," Louie replied. "Look, he's a bit of an ass, but at least you see it coming. And once he realizes his act won't charm you, he'll act more like a real person. You'll like him, I promise."

Gosalyn shook her head at Louie, still grinning. "Either you're a really good liar, or he is worth knowing. Fine. I'll give him a shot. But if he's an ass, you owe me a dinner."

She gave Louie one last grin and then set off purposefully across the ballroom, adjusting her shirt and khakis, presumably to add to her clothing's impact on Huey. Louie grinned to himself. Neither of them stood a chance.

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized someone was standing directly behind him. Right in his personal space.

Louie couldn't help it; he whirled and kicked, hoping to catch whoever in the back of the knees and sending him tumbling to the ground. Given that his quarry was Max Goof, this ended with both of them in a tangled heap on the ballroom floor.

"Happy New Year to you, too," Max muttered.

"Sorry," Louie replied, feeling his feathers flush. He struggled to untangle himself, and reached down to help Max up. "You startled me."

"Didn't expect to see me here this early?" Max asked, a little sullenly. Louie rolled his eyes.

"I didn't see you come in. But I guess that's not a surprise; I was talking to Gosalyn. Talking, Maxie." Max's ears reddened at the name, but he wasn't scowling anymore. "If you must know, I was trying to convince her to attempt to tame my brother's wild ways. You see her over there talking to Huey?"

Max glanced towards the entrance. "No. Dad's caught both of them; oh, lord, he's telling her about the stupid road trip."

"I was just passing the time until you showed up." Louie looped and arm around Max's waist and then tugged him towards where he'd last seen Uncle D. "Come on; let's make the rounds. And then we'll want to get some of Uncle Scrooge's cookies. We used to plan for hours to steal those things."

Max didn't move, so after about two steps, Louie stopped. He turned to Max, and raised one eyebrow in lieu of asking a question.

"Lou, isn't this a little...?"

"What?"

Max jerked his head towards the arm around his waist.

"So?"

Max's eyes widened. "I thought..."

"Yeah?" There were a lot of ways this could go; Louie's chest tightened, marginally.

"I thought your family didn't know."

Louie tugged Max closer. "You see that guy in the stupid plaid shirts? He's Launchpad's boyfriend. So I'm thinking it's going to be okay. I'm not kissing you in front of Uncle D, but I'm not planning on hiding."

Max kissed him. It was a peck on the cheek, so hardly anything he could be really embarrassed about, but there were enough people milling around that it couldn't be misconstrued as anything else. When Max pulled back, he was grinning. Louie was certain the same stupid, silly grin was on his beak.

"All right. Let's make the rounds." Max slipped his own arm around Louie's shoulders, and tugged him towards the set of tables where Uncle Scrooge was holding court.

They passed Launchpad on the way; he gave Louie a thumbs-up that made Louie duck his head and blush. But he was really pleased to know Launchpad approved. After all, Launchpad was the only hero Louie'd never really outgrown.

And then he caught Dewey's eyes. Dewey was smirking, knowingly; they were going to talk about this later, but for now, they were going to enjoy themselves.


End file.
